Goodbye Summer
by Lost-Remembrance
Summary: Kiki's year of training is over and she has to return home.


Disclaimer: 'Kiki's Delivery Service' is owned by its respective owners Miyazaki, Ghibli, and Disney.

Note: Takes place after the end of the movie. I tried to keep the characters as in character as possible while also displaying the maturity of their personality and traits. Hopefully it's an enjoyable read! This was the product of a very long plane ride wherein plot bunnies ravaged my mind. Yet another category added to fandoms I've written in!

Warnings: Very light romance (a kiss and a peck) between Tomboe and Kiki.

Goodbye Summer

A One-Shot by: Lost-Remembrance (Red Tail)

It was finally time. After all the hardships that she had suffered and endured, it was finally over. It was time to say goodbye.

She stood at the entranceway of the place that she had called home for the past year. Her eyes were soft and distant in memory. She couldn't believe how quickly time had passed. She moved over towards the bedside table. All her other items had been stowed and packed away in her faithful orange bag. All that remained was a picture frame of her, Gigi, and Tomboe. A small smile crossed her face as she stared at the photo.

After things had finally settled down and her delivery service business had a steady line of customers and profits, the whirlwind of her life calmed in the wake of her newfound self-assurance.

Who cared if she wore the same outfit every day, of plain clothing that wasn't as fancy as most of the other girls? Sure they had nice shoes and beautiful outfits to wear on the beach and sunny days, but she had her powers and faithful friends. It was more than what some people could ask for.

She couldn't wait to show her parents all the adventures she had been on. The gallery opening she had been a guest of honor at, the people she had met through her delivery service, the medal of honor she received for saving Tomboe (a memento of regaining her powers in the knick of time), and of how much she had grown since leaving home.

Kiki had left her small little town as a naïve child of only thirteen years old. She had dreams and assumptions of how her year of training was expected to go. She had never thought it through (what's my skill?) and realized how irrational she was for daydreaming away through her mother's lessons.

Now she was older, wiser. She felt so much older than her years. She couldn't believe it had only been twelve months. So much had happened. She felt like an adult now. Her mother and father would probably barely be able to recognize her now; she was a full-fledged woman now.

She bit her lip in eagerness, bouncing on her toes and going to open up the window. Looking around for a moment, her eyes set on a familiar site. Below in the yard, she saw Osono, her husband, and her bouncing baby boy Sasuke. "Hey, Osono! Everyone!" Kiki merrily yelled, waving her arms to catch their attention away from the butterfly Sasuke was fixedly staring at. The small family turned, smiles on her face, and waved back at her.

She still couldn't believe her luck at finding such a kind and loving family to house her during her training. What would she do without the kindness of strangers?

"Are you all packed up?" Osono's eyes, even from a distance, looked wet with tears. Kiki choked back her emotions. The bittersweet moment was a riptide of ups and downs. She couldn't wait to see her parents and her old friends. She never wanted to leave this place she now found herself calling home. She didn't want to leave Tomboe, who became more than her friend over the last year.

"Yeah," she shouted back to the caring mother. "I just need to find Gigi!" She swiveled her head up towards the roof, peering as best as she could with the sun and wind obscuring her vision. "Gigi! Gigi! Where are you?"

Gigi popped his head over the ledge, "What?" he meowed to her, his son Fiji also leaning over to look at her inquisitively. "Are you all ready to go?"

Kiki nodded exuberantly, quelling any sorrow in her and keeping her mind of the positive. She could, after all, visit.

"Let me go say goodbye to Marie." Gigi said, getting to his paws. The black cat was eager to go back home to his old haunts and show his son Kiki's mother and the rest of the witches of Kiki's acquaintance. His chest hair puffed up with pride when he thought of his son, who would make a wonderful familiar for a young witch. He felt sad that he would have to leave Marie and his daughters, but nothing was forever. He nuzzled the feline he had loved and she meowed at him, licking his face in parting. He leaned back, "Goodbye."

Her eyes were understanding and shining. She knew this day would come and their differences had led to a mutual friendship over the past year. She was proud of her kittens and of their father, but would never be a part of the world Gigi found himself in. She was just a housecat, content with her life, while he was a familiar with ties and more understanding of witchcraft and the human world than she could comprehend.

As he turned to walk away, she eyed her son, giving him a nudge with her head. He would do well under the teachings of his father. His exuberance and curiosity was just like Gigi and so unlike her she couldn't stop a trickle of sorrow at the thought. 'Don't forget me.'

"Are you sure that you want to leave now?" Osono said, twisting a towel in her hands as she stood by her husband and looked at the girl she felt was basically her daughter.

Kiki nodded, "Yes, my parents are expecting me soon." Kiki responded, bowing her head, "I don't want to hit the cold front that will be coming in two days."

Osono nodded, visibly trying to collect herself. With his free hand, her husband patted her shoulder in sympathy while the other held Sasuke. He leaned forward, wrapping Kiki into a hug. He was a man of few words and rarely spoke, "Take care and have a safe flight. You will always be welcome here." He quietly told her, "We will always think of you as a daughter." Kiki clutched his apron and sniffled at his words.

He let her free from his embrace but not before Sasuke took this time to remind them of his presence. Sasuke pulled at Kiki's ribbon in fascination and giggled. Kiki pulled away with a giggle, the red ribbon falling from her hair.

Grabbing it, she pulled it away and looked at it with tender affection. Her hair and body had changed, but almost everything on the outside had stayed the same. She no longer needed it. Kiki smiled as she reached up and tied the ribbon around Sasuke's wrist. The young boy giggled, waving his hands up and down.

"Take care," she whispered into Osono's apron as she was enveloped in the woman's arms after she gave Sasuke her parting gift. "I'll try and visit when I can."

"Make sure you do." Osono sniffled, pulling away and bringing a tissue up to her nose. "You'd best be off."

Kiki smiled and nodded, mounting her broomstick. "Gigi!" she called, smiling at the familiarity of her friend hopping up on the wood stick. Fiji scrambled up, claws digging into the sturdy wood. She flicked on her trusty radio, turned to look at those who had come to say goodbye to her. Her heart sank a little when she didn't see Tomboe's familiar head of hair or face among the crowd of people that had gathered as the hour grew thin.

He hadn't taken the news of her return well when she had told him a week ago. A wistful smile crossed her face as she kicked off the ground to the cheers and cries of the townsfolk beneath her.

"Good-bye Kiki!" "Have a safe trip!" "Go Kiki, go!" "You go girl!"

And she took off into the sky, blaming the slight breeze for her tearing eyes. "Good-bye everyone." She whispered into the breeze as she steered her broom in the direction of home…

"Kiki!" A shout made her attention falter and she whipped her head towards the origin of the caller. Her eyes widened and she slowed her ascent. "Kiki!" The figure below, wearing the familiar red striped shirt waved his arms frantically as he ran along the shoreline to catch her attention.

"Tomboe?" She questioned, almost in awe as she steered her broom downward and towards the panting running figure. She was silent as she gracefully landed on the ground, the waves crashing against the rocks down below the edge of the lookout.

"Kiki," Tomboe panted as he leaned down, resting his hands on his knees as he tried catching his breath. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his shirt also showed signs of his perspiration. "I… I thought I was too late when I made it to the bakery and Osono said you had already taken off."

Kiki stayed silent, gripping the handle of her broom. She didn't know what to say. Gigi and Fiji were on her shoulder, their weight offering a welcomed sense of support and comfort.

Tomboe's gasping for air slowed as he regained his breath. He righted himself and looked her in the eyes. There was the briefest hint of nervousness in them. "Kiki, I'm sorry. I don't know if you could ever forgive me for acting like such a stupid head." Tomboe scratched the back of his head, a nervous habit of his he had never been able to quit. "I never should have taken what you said so awfully… it's just that I really care for you and didn't want to think of you leaving."

His voice dropped to a lower volume, "I can't really think of life without you around." 'You've become such a constant I've taken you for granted.' "I'm sorry I wasn't there earlier to wish you goodbye or make the most of the time left we had." He shuffled his feet, eyes falling down to the ground, "I hope that you'll write to me and maybe I can come and visit you back home… and maybe you'll come visit here too?"

Kiki's eyes softened and she wrapped one of her hands around Tomboe, drinking in the feeling. "Of course I forgive you Tomboe." She whispered into his ear, landing a loving peck on his cheek. Both of their faces were blushing when they pulled away from the embrace. Kiki pulled a slip of paper from her pocket, pushing it into Tomboe's hands.

"What is this?" he questioned.

Kiki remounted her broom and smiled happily at him, "It's my address and my phone number. I've heard of people who make long distant relationships work," -she couldn't believe she really had a boyfriend!—"I'll call you every night and I'm sure my parents would love for you to come and visit! I already promised Osono I'd visit, but I'll be sure to plan extra visits just for you."

Tomboe laughed, "Who knows, maybe I'll be able to convince my parents to let me transfer over to a school in your area for a year or two." Kiki's heart fluttered at the thought. Her feet left the ground as her emotions soared.

"That's be wonderful," she breathed, a smile stretching across her face so wide she was surprise her cheeks didn't split open.

"Have a safe flight," he rushed forward, taking courage in his reins and landed a small kiss on her soft lips. Her face turned as red as a tomato and remained as such even when he pulled away, leaning back. "I'll see you soon, and that's a promise." He gave her enough room for her to take off, "You'd better go before you hit any bad weather."

Kiki laughed, "Aye-aye, Captain!" Jiji and Fiji jumped from her shoulders and retook their places on the broom as she let her spirit soar, her broom carrying her off into the sky. Tomboe's waving figure slowly disappeared, but the smile remained on both their faces, even when the other was out of sight.

Goodbyes, after all, weren't forever.

FIN


End file.
